RRCNA Advocacy Update - September, 2008

Dear RRCNA Members:

As Washington grapples with a response to the financial crisis, below are several national education policy developments and opportunities:

1. RRCNA leaders go to Washington: RRCNA leaders and met with more than a dozen members of Congress, association leaders and education media in September to convey the message that Reading Recovery is unsurpassed as an effective, research-based intervention for struggling first grade children.
    
2. Continuing Resolution funds federal programs until March 6, 2009.
    
3. RTI/Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CEIS) - new guidance issued by the U.S. Department of Education.
    
4. USDE Technical Advisory Council conducts inaugural meeting.
    
5. Canada’s 40th national election: Advance voting begins Friday, October 3, 2008.
    
6. Got a question for the presidential candidates? Submit your questions to the Commission on Presidential Debates at Facebook (click on “Continue as Guest” to submit a question). October 3rd is the deadline for submitting questions for the October 7th Town Hall debate. The final presidential debate is scheduled for October 15, 2008.

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1. RRCNA in Washington: (left to right below) In conjunction with the Committee for Education Funding legislative conference in September, RRCNA government relations director Lucy Gettman, executive director Jady Johnson, vice-president Judy Embry and president Judith Neal conducted meetings on Capitol Hill.
   
   
    
2. Continuing Resolution – H.R.2638, the “Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009'' was passed by Congress and the President is expected to sign it into law. It funds federal programs and operations until March 6, 2009. Funding for education is largely flat, that is, the same funding level as FY 2008. A few exceptions include additional funding for Pell Grants and education disaster relief.
    
3. CEIS/RTI Guidance: The memo issued by the USDE to chief state school officers and state special education directors seeks to provide information regarding the use of coordinated early intervening services (CEIS) funds for students who are not currently identified as needing special education. It clarifies that the 15% of special education funding that can be used for CEIS can also be used for RTI (see p. 6).
    
4. USDE National Technical Advisory Council (NTAC) – Secretary Spellings appointed the NTAC to some fanfare in August 2008 to advise the Department on the design and implementation of standards, assessments and accountability systems consistent with NCLB and other federal standards and regulations. Deputy Secretary Ray Simon opened the inaugural meeting, which discussed performance indexes, growth models and multiple high school end-of-year assessments. It is unclear what the future of the Council will be in a new administration.
    
5. Canadian national election: The next national election in North America is not in the U.S., but Canada. The early call for election by Prime Minister Stephen Harper may have been influenced by a perception that the dynamics of the U.S. election could impact voters in Canada. Nevertheless, the election may have little or no direct impact on education, as the department or ministry of education in each Province is responsible for the organization, delivery, and assessment of education at the elementary and secondary levels, for technical and vocational education, and for postsecondary education. Begin the election watch at Elections Canada.